Oh brother'
by s11235
Summary: Arthur sees Gwen with another man and gets the wrong end of the stick...  speculation for s3


_A/N: Ok, so this was written for the 3rd drabble tag round over at c_l and I thought I would post it here, the prompt was from lockets_reveal and is yet more proof that I don't write drabbles :P_

Arthur made his way cautiously through the marketplace, his hood drawn up over his head to cloak his face in shadow, a bunch of dog-eared flowers from the palace gardens clasped in one rather clammy hand. It was amazing how even after more than a year since the whole thing had really begun she still had the ability to make him nervous. Still had the ability to make his heart flip over. Still had the ability to surprise him. Speaking of surprise...

'Guinevere!' A man shouted.

She turned. She paled. Her jaw dropped, as did the pail of water in her hand.

He ran over to her beaming widely while she stood stock still, her eyes wide.

'Aren't you pleased to see me?' he asked, his smile fading slightly.

'Why are you here Rion?' she said in a voice of stone, sounding totally calm and collected but Arthur could tell from the strain in her eyes how much it was costing her just to hold herself together.

'I am here to see you, to find out how you are' he replied tentatively evidently seeing the same warning sign as Arthur.

She looked at him full in the face for a moment and then something inside her broke and the tears began to fall. Despite the tears, she wore a fierce look of defiance and refused to break his gaze.

'That' she said delivering a swift blow to his cheek 'is for leaving'

'And this' she said as she pulled him into a tight embrace, her voice thick with emotion, 'is for coming back'

'I'm sorry Gwen' he murmured into her curls, 'so sorry'

Arthur's stomach tightened and his adam's apple bobbed painfully in his throat. _He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be seeing this. Shouldn't be hearing this. _But something glued him to the spot.

After an incalculable length of time- it could have been seconds, it could have been days for all Arthur knew- they broke apart.

'You should have said goodbye you know' Gwen said, the tears gone now, a watery smile replacing them.

'I would have, only you would have tried to convince me to stay and I couldn't have dealt with that, I would have caved to you as I always did,' he gave her an affectionate smile, 'but I needed to get out of here Gwen, I couldn't deal with it anymore, couldn't deal with _him_ anymore'

'You could have worked things out' she said almost imploringly.

'Maybe' the man called Rion shrugged, 'but we were both so angry, we needed some time away from each other'

'And what about me?'

'Leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever done- you have no idea'

'No idea?' she snapped, a bitterness in her voice which Arthur had never heard there before, 'I can guarantee being the one left behind is far worse. To wake up one morning and discover you have lost one of the most important people in your world and there is nothing you can do about it. And it's always me Rion, always. I am always the one who gets left behind'

Arthur bit his lip, his heart in his mouth.

'I'm so sorry Gwen, I shouldn't have left you to deal with all of this on your own, but you have been so strong'

'How would you know?' she said sadly, turning away from him.

'Because,' he replied, catching her arm, just as Arthur had all those months before, 'I know you and you are one of the strongest people I know'

'Well,' she said, looking up into his pleading eyes, 'I'm pretty sure I could still beat you in a fight, even if you have bulked up a bit' she smiled.

'Probably true, but only because I'm a gentleman and wouldn't beat up a girl'

She raised an eyebrow sceptically.

'Fine- because I bruise like a peach' he grinned, but then he added more seriously, 'but seriously Gwen, you are not going to have to deal with things on your own anymore, I am sticking around- if you'll have me of course?'

'Better late than never' she said with a weak smile, 'though you are sleeping on my floor, I'm not giving up my bed for anything'

'But Gwen,' he whined, 'my back gets all stiff and-'

Gwen swatted at him with her hand, her expression half amused, half disapproving.

'And I will make this up to you. Or try to. I will start,' he said flashing her a boyish grin, 'by making you dinner'

Arthur's heart dropped back into his chest cavity with a resounding thump as Gwen smile sweetly up at Rion and said, 'that sounds perfect'

'Well I better go and get started' he beamed, rubbing his hands together.

'And I better go and refill the bucket, thanks to you' she teased prodding him in the chest.

She picked up the bucket and took several paces before turning and saying, her voice a little shaky, 'I'm glad your back Rion'

'I'm glad to be back Gwen' he murmured, but she had already left.

Arthur watched as he disappeared down a side road which he knew to be a shortcut to Gwen's house and then took leave himself, following in the footsteps of the handmaiden.

'Guinevere!'

And for the second time that evening Gwen dropped her newly filled bucket of water.

'Oh for goodness sake' she breathed, but even her surprise could not wipe the wide smile off her face. 'Arthur you scared me'

'Sorry' he mumbled, embarrassed, only just having realised he still held the limp bunch of flowers in his hand.

'Never mind' she said, still beaming, 'nothing can bother me today. I have the best news. Guess who showed up today?'

'I already know' he replied tersely.

'Oh' she said, her face dropping, 'you don't sound very happy for me?'

'You didn't seriously believe I could be happy for you? I'm sorry but this is ridiculous Gwen, are you just a masochist or something? Why do you keep letting men into your life how just let you down? Rion, Lancelot- they both left you'

Her now empty hands flew to her hips, 'Arthur the two situations are totally different'

'Really?' he asked, his jaw set, 'how?'

'Well for starters Rion is my brother'

'Oh'


End file.
